First I wanted to update because some have asked - a short while ago I mentioned half-jokingly (or half-seriously, depending on where you're sitting, I guess) that living in my car was a very real possibility sometime soon. We have, thankfully, managed to keep the wolf from the door, so to speak. Luckily the management company doesn't seem to want us to be roofless either and were willing to wait. So, yay! A roof over our heads for Christmas and hopefully the foreseeable future. We're somewhat back on track now, still a bit over hour heads but having a roof makes it easier to take, ya know?

Secondly, being the holiday season, it's time for fests and right now, hd_holidays is churning out a truly astonishing number of really good reads. So far, I think there have been only 1 or 2 that I just won't open (I'm very picky about summaries) and all of the ones I have read have been delightful. I have to say, too, as a Snarry-er, I am blown away by the sheer number of comments that H/D fics inspire. Just... wow.

There are a couple standouts, so I thought I'd rec them:

The first one, I have to admit, I had to get over myself a little bit before I could read it. Because it's not only an H/D version of 'A Christmas Carol', its title is actually "Humbug", which is the very title of my own Snarry version. So, even though this one posted first, it took me until yesterday to finally do it. I'm really glad I did, because it's really good. A lot closer to the original than mine, too (though I stand by my own choices!). And, of course, despite the inspiration, our stories are very different. In this tale it's Draco as Scrooge and he's delightfully snide and supercilious, and his journey is both fun and a little heartbreaking. It's a great combination and the mystery author's characterizations really ring true.

Title: Humbug (A Christmas Tale)Pairing(s): Harry/Draco. (With implied Draco/other men; implied past Harry/Cho; and brief, future, imagined but not-real Harry/Charlie.)Summary: Draco has been taking his casual relationship with Harry for granted. Visits from four key ghosts the night before Christmas just might shake up his priorities in life.Rating: NC-17

Admittedly, I'm partial to Dickens and most especially to 'A Christmas Carol', so I'm likely to give any version of it a go, but I do not love blindly, rest assured. At about 30,000 words it will take more than a few minutes to read this, but it's certainly doable and entirely worth it.

The second rec is just plain fun. I smiled nearly the entire time I was reading this fic. Delightful characterizations all around (including a little seen Hannah Abbott, who is put to great use here - think Karen Allen in the first Indian Jones film), excellent dialogue, and importantly to me, a really good Ron.

Title: Party of TwoPairing(s): Harry/DracoSummary: Drinking, sex, and a total misreading of the concept of fuck buddies.Rating: NC-17

This one is listed at 13,600 words and certainly isn't a huge time commitment, but it's a great choice if you need a pick-me-up. And I really really want to try a Pink Puffskein Pygmy Puff (I just read it again for fun)...

Happy reading! I might post some more recs, especially if this fest keeps on gracing us with such delights.